Monday, September 12, 2011

WVU-Norfolk State Reaction

It ended up being a blowout, but it took a half for the Mountaineers to wake up. There are probably more questions than answers heading into the third game. At least WVU was able to play four quarters in game two.

Most Valuable Player:Geno Smith. The quarterback once again got the job done, throwing for over 370 yards, with four touchdowns. It was a slow start, but the junior brought it big time in the second half to wrap up the victory.

Least Valuable Player: Anyone who Played in the First Half. Just an embarrassing first 30 minutes for WVU. The offense couldn't move the ball, and the defense couldn't get off the field. I can't imagine what that halftime speech sounded like. Well, maybe I can.

Most Surprising: Still no turnovers forced. Sure, the Mountaineers haven't coughed up the football in two games, but they also haven't forced any. It's great that the defense hasn't allowed a touchdown this season, but playmaking is non-existent. Jeff Casteel will have to get his boys playing at a higher speed to try to win some field position, and start forcing some mistakes.

Least Surprising: Geno's Efficiency. Smith is off to a solid start in the new offense. Yes, there have been some slow starts, but stats don't lie. Through two games, Smith has six touchdowns with no interceptions. He also has his highest completion percentage of his career (67%), and 620 yards. Smith will have to keep these numbers up while the Mountaineers try to figure out the ground game.

Play of the Game: Ivan McCartney's 39 yard TD catch. Early in the fourth quarter, Sticks got loose. Geno was able to throw a perfect dart to Sticks in the end zone for the score. It was a beautiful pitch-and-catch

Grades:

Quarterback: Smith was very good in the second half, going for four scores. His progressions were very good, but needs to get his wideouts playing at a quicker rate. Now Smith will have to put four quarters together.

Grade: B

Running Back: Better but still nowhere close to where it needs to be. The youngsters have struggled finding the holes, and don't accelerate enough when they do. Vernard Roberts may have a leg-up on the competition for the starting job.

Grade: C

Wide Receiver: Mixed results for this group. While they found the end zone quite a bit, there were more drops than week one. And Holgorsen continues to complain about lack of tempo between plays.

Grade: B-

Offensive Line: Good in pass protection, but Norfolk State only rushed three. Run blocking is still a disaster.

Grade: C

Defensive Line: Didn't break, but still struggled to get pressure on the quarterback. They do deserve a bit of leeway, considering their opponent wasn't dropping back to pass very often.

Grace: B-

Linebacker: Did well against the run, but was on the field just too much. Need to be more aggressive on contain.

Grade: B-

Secondary: Darwin Cook was all over the field, but the rest of the group struggled. Just too easy to complete a pass right now.

Grade: B-

Special Teams: A mixed bag for the group. Better in kick coverage, but not the best day for the actual kickers. Tavon Austin nearly took a punt back to the house.

Grade: B

Coaching: Offensively, the scheme worked for 55 points. It just took the team half to figure it out. Jeff Casteel needs to get his defense playing with more fire. It's great that they haven't allowed a touchdown yet, but this sam needs pressure and turnovers. Special Teams did improve as well.